Wedding Speech Blog
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You only have one shot to nail this speech for your daughter, son-in-law, family and guests.
So your goal must be to shock, surprise and thrill everyone with a killer original speech that is funny, warm, epic and unforgettable.
Artificial intelligence is everywhere. From Amazon product suggestions to Google auto-complete, AI has invaded nearly every aspect of our lives.
The problem is that AI just isn’t very good when it comes to anything involving human emotion. Have you ever had a meaningful conversation with Siri or Alexa?
Real customer reviews provide an inside look at the quality and value of a company’s products and services. Legitimate businesses pay (and it’s expensive) to contract with a third-party, Google-authorized review service such as Shopper Approved, TrustPilot or Yotpo to collect reviews for them.
New clients often mention how cluttered the online speechwriting world is and how difficult it is to find a reputable writer with a proven track record.
There’s rarely a week that goes by that I don’t get at least two or three calls or emails from best men, fathers of the bride or maids of honor who are a week or even a just a few days out from the wedding and in a complete panic.
A father of the bride client in Connecticut named, Ted, called the other day to let me know how his speech went at his daughter’s wedding the previous weekend.
He said, “I must say that my speech was the highlight of the event. It left some folks laughing and crying at the same time. I think you have broken the code with your speech preparation process.”
Then he said, “You must know that you’re in a mirky sea of people who call themselves wedding speechwriters out there… how do you do it?”
So I said, “Then why did you choose me over all the others?”
A recent article on wedding speeches in the Los Angeles Times included this:
“The best man's speech should be… the high point of the reception and it is very often his ability to make this particular speech, with humor and interest, which should be one major deciding factor for the selection of the best man.”
A client recently directed me to a wedding “speechwriter” on-line (this one happens to be in England but they’re everywhere) who sells canned speech templates but also promises to write you an “original” speech if you like. Really? So, does that mean he won’t use any of the dull, tired lines from the generic speech templates he’s selling in your speech then? I’m skeptical.
I’m fortunate to be able to enhance the success, excitement and intimacy of all types and sizes of weddings around the world. The largest was a 640-person celebration in Malibu for a film director.
I was talking yesterday with Don, a new father of the bride client from Richmond, Va. He was describing how he had been online looking for ideas and guidance for his speech and was shocked at what schlock he found.
I usually get an email or call every Monday or Tuesday after clients deliver their speech at weddings the previous weekend that tells me this. When I do, I'm always quick to point out that I didn't make anything up to create their speech. It's all them.
With a little planning you can give a funny, warm and 100% original wedding speech. You can knock this thing out of the park.
I was working recently with Allan, a father of the bride in New York. We were going over his speech together and he was carefully weighing each word.
He wanted to be sure we were conveying exactly what he had always wanted to say to his daughter on her wedding day. And he wanted to make sure the words were in exactly the right tone, style and voice.
You'll get even more out of your rehearsals if you practice in front of friends, family, colleagues or others. That's because practicing under the types of pressure you are likely to face will help ensure you perform when it really counts.
Words and presentation matter. So, don’t underestimate the power of a well-written speech to strengthen your relationship with the bride and groom even more while entertaining and impressing the crowd.
I was excited to receive a video recently from a client giving the best man speech at his friend’s wedding in Boston.
He’s a dentist without much public speaking experience so he was on edge in the days leading up to the wedding. The video showed him a little nervous but mostly energized and feeding off the crowd. He got laughs, cheers and applause throughout. A homerun by any standard.
In 19 years as a speechwriter, I've discovered there are 5 major reasons the speech is, for many, the most stressful part of the wedding duties:
REASON #1: You don't have a lot of speechwriting or public speaking experience, especially at high-profile social events like a wedding (most people don't).